Drop keel for submarines



June 17, 1930. J. PLUM DRCP .K EEL FOR SUBMARINES Filed July 24, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 17; 1930. 4 J. PLUM DR OP KEEL FOR SUBMARINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1929 June 17, 1930.

J. PLUM DROP KEEL FOR SUBMARINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 24, 1929 June 17,1930. J, PLUM 1,764,979

DROP KEEL FOR SUBMARINES Filed July 24, 1929 4 fibeets-Sheet 4 Patented June 17, 1930 rTNr o Fi utters JOHNPLUM, OF BRIDGE-PORT, CONNECTICUT DROP KEEL FOR SUBMARINES Application filed July 24, 1929. Serial No. 380,546. 7

This invention relates to submarine safety devices, and has for an object to provide an improved means whereby the occupants of a p submarine may lighten the submarine by releasing drop keels and weights from within the submarine shell. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a means which will securely hold 7 the attached weights against accidental loss from outside sources, which will permit the occupants of a sunken submarine to manually detachone or more drop keels and corre-.

sponding weights from within the submarine to provide means operable from any com- 15 partment of the submarine to detach at least one drop keel or to detach all the'drop keels as may be desirable, to provide means locking said detaching means against accidental operation, and to provide means likewise opac erable from any bottom compartment to unlock said locking means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a very effective means for holding said drop keels against longitudinal movements, thus preventing any longitudinal shearingstresses on the attaching means, to provide a novel attaching and detaching means which is easily operable to release the weights and which will always release them so when operated; to provide a means for causing each drop keel section to assist in holding inplace at least one drop weight which drop weight will operate to prevent any lateral shearing stresses on the drop keel holding means; to provide means to prevent longitudinal shifting of thejdrop weights, which means however, shall be removable to permit longitudinal shifting of the drop weights to permit replacement of said 49 weights, and particularly to provide means for attaching the weights which will not bind, but will always release the weights and cause them to drop when released.

With the foregoing and other objects in 1; View, this invention embodies the constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth, disclosed and claimed in the following specification considered in connection with theaccompanying 5C drawings.

,or oining member.

1 pitched.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic top plan view of a horizontal section of a submarine to which an embodiment of this invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 shows a somewhat enlarged and vertical plan and partly broken view of an embodiment of this invention, the detail being somewhat differently arranged than in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a still more enlarged vertical view of an embodiment of the manual operating means and locking means constituting part of this invention. i i

Fig. i is atop plan iew of the operating gear rackand pinion and locking means on 65. line 4;4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and partly broken view on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. l Fig. 6 is a plan view of part of the mounting means. r

Fig. 7 is a horizontalsection on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 88 of Fig. 5 showing themale bolt in holding position.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section j similar to Fig. 8 with the male bolt turned to the detaching position.

Fig. 10 is a cross section on line -1010 of Fig. 2, showing the dowel pins for preventing shearing stresses on the drop keel attaching means. i

Fig. 11 shows an enlarged view of the separable links and pins connecting the several gear racks.

Fig. 12 is a front view of the male bolt Fig. 13-is a side view of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 isa partly broken side view of the female bolt or joining. member. 7

Fig. 15 is a View on line 15l5 of Fig. 14. Fig.16 is a top plan view, partly broken of Fig. 1e. I I

Fig. 17' is a side View of the flange to be screwed onto or otherwise attached to the male'boltshowing how its bottom is screw Fig. 18 is a bottomplan view of the flanges in Fig. 17.

Fig. 16 is a side view of a correspondingly screw pitched washer placed in the keelson to support the flange and bolt, and

Fig. 20 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 19.

There is shown diagrammatically at 21 a submarine to which embodiment of this invention has been attached. The submarine is shown diagrammatically divided by partitions'22 into compartments 23,110 attempt be,

ing made to show in detail the construction of the submarine, the submarine bottom or shell 24 having the usual keelson 25 and the usual stationary keel 26, there being the usual brace or ribs 27 riveted to the inside of the'shell. Y

Detachably fastened below the keel by a later described means is a drop keel 30, and this drop keel may be made in several sections, each section forming an individual drop heel. On eitheror each side of the drop keel 30 is f0 med a flange 31 preferably integral therewith. Spaced from the drop keel flanges 01 and parallel therewith is a flange 32 affixed to the outside of shell 24 by rivets 33, there being flange 32 on each side of the keel 30. The flanges 31 and 32 are designed to hold between them and the shell 24 a series of heavy weights 34 of lead or similar material, the weights being made in sections so as not to be too unweildly in assembling, and

further, to permit sections of the weight to m; the entire series of drop heels.

be detached together withthe individual drop heels when it is found unnecessary to detach A T-shaped bracket 35 has its Thead 36 fitted into a slot 37 of a holder 38 riveted to the shell 24. bracket 35 has alip 40 which is riveted as at 41 to the flange 32, each weight 34 being recessed as at 42 to fit over he 40. After a sec- 3 tion the drop keel has been put in place,

;been dropped, it is only necessary to knock out rivets 41 to remove the bracket 35to permit a new weight to be slid into place and fastened thereby, or the weights may be, inserted'by reversing the droppingaction and befor placing the corresponding keel sections 30 in position. Thus the bracket 35 serves a double function, it is removable to permit the Weights to be replaced,'and serves to hold the weights against longitudinal movement once they are in place, and it supports the lower end of member 32. At the 'same time it does not interfere with the detaching'of the weights when the dropkeel is detached, as is necessary when the submarine has been sunk and 1S unable to rise 1n The these bolts projecting through the drop keel 30 and the other projecting through the stationary keel 26, shell 24 and keelson 25 of the submarine. In this case, the female bolt 43 projects through an opening 44 in the drop keel 30, while the male bolt 45 projects: The head 46of the male, bolt 45 is somewhat heart shaped and projects throu h the shell.

beyond the stem of thebolt, the projecting POlLlOIlS being screw pitched as at 47, The

head 48 of the female bolt 43 has a cavity 50 correspond mg in shape to the male head 46 to pen itit to enter therein. The cavity 50 is recessed to permit the male head 46 to turn a quarter revolution, there being a stop 51 to prevent further turning, while a fiangej52 above and over-hanging this recessed portion prevents the male head 46 from being withdrawn when it is in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 8 with the inclined shoulders '47 lying under these flanges, the flanges 52'be ing correspondingly screw pitched as-at 53.

To prevent the female bolt from revolving, and thus separating f om the male bolt, the female head 48 is formed with a pair of projecting tongues 54 which will enter corresponding grooves 55 in therecess v56 in keel 26. The end of bolt 43is screw threaded as at 62 and a nut 63 serves to hold the drop keel 30 in place. tile keel 30'be1ng recessed at 64 to.

receive thenut 63.

The male bolt 45 is screw threaded as at? 64 to receive a supporting flange or nut 65 which after mounting isv secured to turn with the bolt by any suitable means as a key 65L The bottom surface of flange or nut'65 is screw pitched 66, this pitch being in'the reverse direction to that p at 4'1 and but being of the same pitch or inclination to facilitate the turning operation.

required in releasing the weights. 1A. sup

porting washer 6'? is placed in a recess 68.

in the keelson. 25 and is screw pitched at 70. corresponding to the pitch 66.

tnrning movements between the members 65 and 68 and. are so arranged that when together the head 46 of the'male boltisfin alignment with the elongated opening to the recess 50 as shown. in 9 and therefore I insures stop-pin of the turning movement of bolt 45in proper position to releasejthe bolt r 43 and permit it to separate therefrom. lhe

of pitched surfaces p The shoulders 5'? and 58 coact as stops to limit relative slots 71 in washer 68 receive tongues or keys 72 projecting from the sides of recess 68 and prevent washer 67 from rotating- On bolt 1-5- above flange a stuffing box 7 3serves to prevent leakage along the bolt into the submarine, and a frustum shaped shell 74: is affixed to the keelson .25 about the stuffing box and flange to protect and conceal these working parts. The bolt 45 is reduced adj acent its upper end to a square shaped neck 75 so as to receive the correspondingly shaped bore of a gear or pinion 7 6, and above neck 75 bolt 45 is again reduced to a threaded por tion 77 to receive a nut 78to fasten pinion 7 6, securely to the bolt.

- In mesh with teeth 80 of pinion 76 are the V teeth 81 of a rack 82 slidably guided and supported by a bracket 83 affixed to keelson 25, and the rack is backed up and supported by rollers 83 to give easy operation of the rack.

In order to move the rack 82 in the operative fixed to keelson 25 in alignment with bracket 83. The member 85 is also mounted on antifrictionrollers 85 to facilitate its movement. A lever 87 pivoted to bracket 86 as at 88 has a depending pivoted pawl 90 adapted to mesh with rack 85 and when lever 87 is operated, the pinion will beturned to rotate the male bolt 4-5 to the detaching or releasing position shown in Fig. 9. 1

'To prevent accidental operation of this mechanism, another link bar 91 connected to the opposite end ofrack 82 passes through the closed end of a U-shaped clevis 116- and carries a nut 117 between which and the clevis is a spring 115. The clevis is pivoted as at 92 to a nut 118 threaded on a link 119 connected to the member 93. By turning clevi's 116 the length of the connection from rack 82 to member 93 may be adjusted and also the tension of spring 115 when the device is in locked position may likewise be adjusted. A look nut 120 maintains them in adjusted position, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, to. a curveddrawbar 93 forming part of a toggle locking mech-' anism. This locking mechanism includes a U-shaped bracket 94 affixed to the keelson, and

has pivoted on a shaft 95-,therein a toggle member 96 which normally hangs downwardly to the keelson inlocked position as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. At a point slightly below pivot 95 when inthis position, an in dentation 97 serves to receivetheend 98 of the opening in drawbar 93, which drawbar is curved up around the pivot 95. Due to this curvature, any pressure tending to move rack 85 or 82 will be resisted so long as end 98 remains in indentation 97 and toggle 96 remains in the locked beyond center position shown,

B. as

that is when the center of shaft 95 is above line 113 joining recess 97 and pivot 114. With this-arrangement the greaterth'e: pull the more securely it is locked; An arm 100 fastened to and above pivote pin or shaft 95 serves to rotate the shaft so as to rotate toggle 96 to above center position 96 whereupon it will release the drawbar 93 and allow racks 85 and 82 to be'operated. In this movement of the toggle spring 115 yields to permit end 98 to pass over the center of the shaft. Affixed to arm 100 by a forked link 101 is a cable'102 which passes under a guide pulley 103 in a bracket 104; affixed to the keelson. The other end of cable 102 is affixed to a link bar 105 which is connected to a rack. 106,

carried on antifriction rollers 106. Back LOG-with its operating lever 107, pawl 108 and guiding bracket 110 is identical in construction with the operating details of rack 85,

and no further disclosure hereof is necessary.

The drop keel 30 may consist of one or more sections as is found desirable, and each section may be provided with oneor more male and female joining or supporting members with their attendant mechanism as above described, constituting a joining member unit. To assist in holding the drop keel 30 against shifting, and thus prevent any shearing stresses on the joining members or bolts, the dropkeel is provided with. a number. of dowels 111' which project into recesses 1.12 in the stationary keel26. Every compartment 23 of the submarine is provided with at least one unlocking lever 107 and one operating lever 87, and with one or more joining member'units, there being obviously at least one joining member unitfor every individual drop keeh'as shown'in Fig. 1, although preferably two or more joining member units or boltswill be used. The several joining member units are connected by the barlinks 84: so that operation of one will, simultaneously operate all the connected units. When several sections of drop keels are provided, it may be desirable to provide means to detach only certain of the drop heels and their corresponding weights To provide for this link bar 84 is divided by a separable link 121 held therein by tapered detachable knockout pins" 122 held in place by cotter pins 123 and there is one of these detachable link connections ineach compartment or where found desirable.

The operation is as follows. This invention is intended as a safety device for submarines, and'is for the purpose of preventing a repetition of .such submarine disasters machinery is usually out of order and'hence I is unable to lighten the submarine sufficiently to cause it to float. Although some compartments-in the sunkensubmarin'e be flooded, survivors in other compartments usually ments.

' may happen that only one compartment has been flooded, and it may only be necessary to detach one drop keel section and its dependent weights. When this is desirable the survivors remove the cotter pins 123 and then pins 122 in the compartment nearest the flooded one on each side of the joining member unit in that compartment. This will release this unit from the remaining units, as well as from the locking mechanism, which may be released by operating lever 107 and then by operating lever87, rack 85 will move to pull rack 82 and thus operate pinion 76 and turn the male bolt to the released position.

Due to the screw'p'itch onthemale and female heads, and likewise on the flange and sup porting washer, the drop, keel will be held firmly and securely and cannot be accidental- 1 lost. However, as thescrew pitches or inclined surfaces on head 46 areof the same pitch or inclination as the pitches or inclined surfaces on the members and 68 but reversed as above described, this arrangement greatly relieves the friction tending to prevent the male'bolt from being rotated and .makes it possible for it to be easily rotated by even a single survivor. When the male bolt has been turned a quarter of a revolution, it will no longer hold the female bolt as the head is inthe position of Fig. 9 and in alignment with the entrance to cavity 50, and the drop keel will detach itself from the sub marine shell, at the same time, the weights 34 held in place by the particular keel section being detached will likewise separate .due to the removal of the drop keel which acts as a keystone and support for holding buoyancy,

them in place. 'Due'to the heart shape of the male head, and the position of the kee flanges 31 and shellflanges 32, the keel and weights will separate even though thesub marine is rolled on one side or on end, as often happens in submarine accidents.

If the detachment of one dropkeel section and its weights is not sufficient to restore additional sections may be dropped, and the link 121 may be replaced with the. pins 122 to reconnect the several "joining member'units. lVhen necessary to drop several or all-the drop keel sections,

' ing mechanism to release the toggle mecha the lever 107is'operated to unlock the locknism. The lever 87 is then operated and through its links 84, serves to operate all the connected joining member units or bolts to detach the appropriate drop keel sections and weights, and this shouldbe sufficient to re store the buoyancy to the submarine even if 105 pass through stufiing boxes (not shown) in the partitions 22 to'prevent passage of water from one compartment to another and maintain the isolation of individual oompartments where desired. r

When the submarine is thereafter brought to the drydock, and thedamage has been repaired, new keel sections are placed onto the supporting boltswhich are thenreturned to lock position.

allow new weight sections to'beslid longitudinally into place between-flanges 31 and 32. As each weight section is -restored,'its appropriate bracket 35 is restored and new rivets 41 used to hold it in place or the weights may be inserted as above explained without Then rivets 4.1 are knocked out ermittin brackets 35 to be removed to 7 b 7 and means fordetacliing said drop keel and weights from any compartment in the submarine,

2. A safety device for submarines divided into separate compartments comprlsing a drop keel extending longitudinally of the submarine and including a plurality of sections, individually operable means for detachably securing the various sections to the submarine, means for operating sa1d individually operable means extending into all the compartments whereby the keel sectionsmay be released from any compartment, and detachable connections in said. operative 'means whereby to permit release of individual sections independently of the othersections. I

3. A submarine safetydevice comprising a series of detachable dro keels means for se-' curely attachingsaid drop keels to the" submarine, a series. of weights held'outside the submarine shell by said series of drop keels, and means for detaching any or all of said drop keels from within the submarine, to thereby also detach the'corresponding weights. i

i. A submarine safety device comprising a drop keel extending longitudinally of the submarine, meansfor securing said keel to the underside of the submarine, means with in the submarine for releasing 'the :keel,

weights securedfto the outside of the submarine on opposite sides of the keel to protect the keel at'these opposite sides,:and' means drop keel and weight to separate from the submarine, means for locking said last member against rotation, means for unlocking said locking means, and means for turning said member.

6. A submarine safety device comprising a series of drop keels and a series of weights, means for releasably securing said drop keels to the submarine, each of said drop keels serving to hold at least one of said weights in place and to permit said weight to separate from the submarine when said drop keel separates, said means including male and female joining members, at'least one of said members being attached to each drop keel, the others of said members rotatably proin each submarine bottom compartment for rotating all said other members to detach all said attached drop keels and weights, means for permitting said last means to drop less than all said drop keels and weights, means for lockingsaid other members against rotation, and means in each compartment for unlocking said locking means.

7. A submarine safety device, comprising a drop keel extending longitudinally of the submarine, means for securing said keel to the under side of the submarine, means operable within the submarine for releasing the keel, a weight on one side of the keel, means on the keel for supporting one end of the weight, and means on the submarine for sup-- porting the other end of the weight and adapted to release the Weight when the keel falls.

8. In a submarine safety device including a drop keel, means for securing said drop keel to the submarine including a pair of male and female joining bolts, one of said bolts projecting through said drop keel and the other of said bolts projecting through the submarine shell, said male bolt having a head, said female bolt having anentrance to permit said male head to enter and a cavity permitting said male head to partly rotate, said female head having a flange across said cavity preventing said male head from being,- withdrawn while said male head is partly roside of said flange being screw tat-ed, the inner pitched and the rear of the male head. being maybe operated to drop a plurality of keels correspondingly pitched, a nut secured to the upper boltto turn therewith, a supporting nut mounted in the submarine and held against turning, said nuts being provided with engaging surfaces inclined at substantially :the samepitch as the flange and head and in theopposite direction,

9. In a submarine safety device-including a drop lIGQl lllQEtHS for securing said drop keel, to the submarine including a pair of male and female joiningbolts, oneof said bolts projecting through said drop keel and ,the other of said-bolts projecting through the submarine shell, said male bolt having a head, said female bolt having an entrance to'permit said male head to enter and a cavity permitting said male head to partly rotate, said female head having a flange across said cavity preventingsaid male head from being withdrawn while said, male head is partly rotated, theinner side of said flange being screw pitched and the rear of the male head being correspondingly pitched, a reversely pitched supportingwasher within the submarine shell about the bolt therethrough, and a corresponding reversely pitched fiange on said bolt, and means within the submarine to rotate said bolt and detach the drop keel.

drop keel, means for securing said drop keel to the submarine including a rotatable bolt projecting through "the submarineshell into said drop keel,'a pinion secured to said bolt within the submarine shell, a gearrack for,

rotating said pinion, a'beyond center toggle locking said gear. rack against operative m0vement,means for rotating the toggle over its center to unlock the gear rack, and rack and pawl means for operating said gear rack.

11. In a submarine safety device including a series of drop keels, means for securing said drop'keels to the submarine including at least one rotatable bolt projecting through the submarine shell into each of said drop keels, a pinion within the submarine on each of said bolts,,a gear rack for rotating each of said pinions, a plurality of rack and pawl means for manually operating each of said gear racks,.separable links connecting said gear racks whereby each rack and pawl means may be operated to drop a plurality of keels or may be disconnected from the other gear racks so as to operate only its individual rack and pinion to drop only its individual keel.

12; In a submarine safety deviceincluding' a series of drop keels, means for securing said drop keels to the submarine including at least one rotatable bolt projecting through the submarine shell into each of said drop keels, a pinion within the submarine on each of said bolts, a gear rack for rotating each of said pinions, a plurality of rack and pawl means for manually operatingeach of said gear racks, separable linksconnecting said gear racks whereby each rack and pawl means or may be disconnected from the other gear racks so as to operate only its individual rack and pinion to drop only its individual keel, and toggle means to lock said gear racks against operative movement and other rack and pawl means to unlock said toggle means.

13. A submarine safety device comprising a drop keel, means within the submarine for V detaching said drop keel, a flange on said drop keel, a spaced flange on the outside of thejsubmarine shell, andv a drop weight secured between said shellflange and said drop keel flange. I

14:.- A submarine safety device comprising a plurality of drop keels, means within the submarine'shell for detaching any or all of said drop keels, said drop keels being flanged, a spaced flange on the outside of the submarine shell, and a drop weight secured between said shell flange and each said drop keel 15. A submarine safety device comprising a plurality of drop keels, means within the submarine shell for detaching any or all of said drop keels, each of said drop keels being flanged, a spaced flange on said submarine shell, an individual drop weight secured to said submarine shell and shell flange by each said drop keel flange, and separator means in said shell flange preventing longitudinal movement of said individual Weights.

16. In a submarine safety device including a, drop keel, means for securing said keel to the submarine including a bolt comprising a male and female section having correspondingly inclined engaging shoulders to secure the sections together and arranged to separate on a given turning movement of one of the sections, a supporting washer, a flange on one of the sections, said, flange and washer having engaging surfaces similarly inclined to those of the bolt sections and in an opposite direction, means for supporting V the Washer, and means for turning one section of the bolt and the flange to permitthe two sections to separate.

17 In a submarine safety device, a drop keel, means for detachably securing the keel to the under side of the submarine comprising a bolt extending through the submarine shell and provided with a head having inclined shoulders, a bolt in thekeel' having a socket to receive said head and similarly inclined shoulders to engage those on the head, a flange member on the first'bolt having surfaces in clined at substantially the same pitch asthose on the head but'in the opposite direction, a supporting nut having surfaces inclined similarly to those on the flange member and cooperating therewith to support the bolt, means for holding the nut against turning, and means within the submarine for turning the first bolt to release the keel.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

JOHN PLUM. 

